Honoring the Sonoran Desert light, shadows, and wind

Back to my happy place where clouds dancing over the Sonoran Desert make for amazing light and shadow play on the Kofa Mountains and even with wind provide a playground for birds, and me.

Once the a-hole RVer left me free to move, stress level dropped, and I made a plan to return to the Sonoran Desert.  I spent a couple more days at the noisy VFW-BLM camp as I really don’t like to go anywhere on weekends.

Sunrise

Who can resist?  I sold these almost 60 years ago for .50/box and now they’re $5

However, Sunday mornings are a good time to shop.  So I left camp about 10am and went into Yuma to run the usual errands, fill water, propane, and diesel, plus stock up on groceries that will hopefully get me through the rest of the month.

Then I drove north on SR95 and along the way I saw one of the border patrol government blimps (white dot left of center) on the ground below Castle Dome Peak.

It’s only about an hour drive to the King Road which accesses Kofa National Wildlife Refuge and adjacent BLM (Bureau of Land Management) boondocking sites.  Sigh, by 1:30pm, back to the Sonoran Desert.  I found a nice large space with few RVs in sight and easily leveled with Saguaro and Kofa Mountain views.

Wasn’t long before I was out for a walk into my new yard with camera in hand.  Clouds to the west changed the afternoon light to the east almost quicker than I could shoot.  The layers of formations in the Kofa Mountains are not always obvious under a cloudless mid-day sun.

Color me happy for expansive sunset skies all around.

Cactus Wren

Morning light over the Chocolate Mts

Ravens

After a deep sleep surrounded by dark and quiet, I woke to the delightful song of a Cactus Wren.  (link to song) I am excited to have birds around and wonder about putting out the trail-cam somewhere.  That will take at least another walkabout and time to observe wildlife patterns.

Crocodile cloud over alligator rock

I had an incredibly good signal—saw the towers on the Chocolate Mountains—that would service the border patrol stop which isn’t always open.

Because of a “wellness check” from my cousin I answered emails and comments in the morning.

After lunch, the 75° day called me outside under a cloud patterned sky that once again played light and shadow games across the Sonoran Desert and mountain landscape.

I made and posted a short video while embracing the apricity found in the Sonoran Desert.

Throughout the afternoon a few new neighbors moved in, not too close thank goodness.

The next day wind blew strong from the southwest and right on my door.  I was afraid to try and open the door that it might be ripped out of my hands or slammed in my face.  House was rocking.  Fellow blogger Doug came by and held the door for me to get out.  Then we managed to sit outside visiting for a little while on the almost none windy side of the camper.  But as that became shaded it cooled off enough to call it a day.  Doug held the door for me to get back inside and that’s where I stayed.

Sunset through a window.

The wind blew all night at a steady rocking 25mph with occasional gusts up to 60mph.  Same thing all day long.  With the high only 61° I warmed the house by baking chocolate cookies.  And I put up another short video about the Wicked Wind in the Sonoran Desert.

The next morning was calm and chill at 39° and although it cleared briefly rain was predicted.

                 Cactus Wren                                                                 Loggerhead Shrike

But not before some birds came out to play.

The wind returned but I did manage to push outside several times in the afternoon between gusts and rain drops to photograph rainbows.  Wasn’t enough rain to wet the ground or plump the cactus in this dry Sonoran Desert.

It wasn’t terribly cold outside when the sun was shining but that wind is so annoying.  Yet I took advantage of the wind by taking a time-lapse through the window of the clouds scooting along.

Morning light on Chocolate Mts

Afternoon Kofa Mts

With a little less wind the next day, I bundled up and walked a short ways from camp in the afternoon.

I never get very far even when I’m out for an hour or two.  So many distractions.

Sunrise over Kofa Mts

That pretty much wraps up my first week back in the Sonoran Desert.  My current plan—and they sometimes change—is to hang here for the next full moon rise in early March.

Maybe you can take it all with you